Birth and death

The United Nations Statistics Division is the primary agency responsible at an international level for

collecting official national data on natality and mortality, that is on fertility, foetal deaths and deaths. Data on natality have been collected from national statistical offices and disseminated through the Demographic Yearbook system since its first issue in 1948.

A review of the national reporting of fertility and mortality data (United Nations, 2004) describes the experience of countries with regard to reporting of the requested data to the Demographic Yearbook for the period 1961 to 2000, and relate national practices with respect to classifications to relevant international recommendations for fertility.

issuing guidelines and methodologies in the collection, compilation and dissemination of statistics on natality and mortality.

Demographic Yearbook - Statistics

Standards and methods

The United Nations Statistics Division issues standards and methods approved by the Statistical Commission to assist national statistical authorities and other producers of statistics in the collection, compilation and dissemination of data.

Basic concepts and their definitions: features definitions of live birth and foetal death; as well as items that can be collected in a population census. These concepts and definitions were approved by the Statistical Commission.

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The United Nations Statistics Division is committed to the advancement of the global statistical system. We compile and disseminate global statistical information, develop standards and norms for statistical activities, and support countries' efforts to strengthen their national statistical systems. We facilitate the coordination of international statistical activities and support the functioning of the United Nations Statistical Commission as the apex entity of the global statistical system.